They had to run the gauntlet of hecklers shouting “shame on you,” “down with Trident” and “down with war” outside Westminster Abbey. It was the first public duty for Ms Mordaunt in her new role following the sacking of her predecessor Gavin Williamson. She was also joined by First Sea Lord Admiral Sir Philip Jones. William, 36, who is Commodore-in-Chief of the Submarine Service, and Ms Mordaunt, a Royal Navy reservist, were there to recognise the UK commitment in maintaining Operation Relentless – the longest mission in the history of the Armed Forces. The Duke, who wore a dark suit with the Queen’s Golden Jubilee medal and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal on his chest, gave a reading during the service. Ms Mordaunt, an Acting Sub-Lieutenant in the Navy reserve and MP for Portsmouth North, had earlier announced that Britain’s fourth Dreadnought submarine is to be named King George VI.

She said: “We pay tribute to those incredible crews, their supportive families, the Royal Navy and the thousands of industry experts who will continue to sustain this truly national endeavour for many years to come.”

Rear Admiral Tim Hodgson told the 2,000-strong congregation: “The boats themselves are the work of a nation, set to task five decades ago to deliver complex machines at the forefront of modern-day technology.

“People across the country are united in an often unseen, quietly acknowledged purpose of delivering our deterrent and the surety it brings.”

The Dean of Westminster, Rev Dr John Hall, said that he had received repeated calls, including messages on the previous night, for the service to be abandoned.

Critics stressed to him that the work of Jesus was about peace, not violence.

But the Dean said: “Clearly we have not done so and are proud to be holding it here in the Abbey.”

He said: “The only legitimate aim for any country’s military capability is securing peace.

“I have been asked repeatedly whether this service was meant to be a celebration of nuclear weapons, or an act of thanksgiving.

“We can’t celebrate weapons of mass destruction, but we do owe a debt of gratitude and sincere thanks to all those countless men and women, some represented here today, who in the past 50 years have maintained a deterrent, and indeed to their families, who have stood by them. Those countless men and women played their part, a vital part, in maintaining peace.”

But he also spoke of the “terrifying force” and the “massive devastation” which can be inflicted by nuclear weapons, mentioning Hiroshima.

Engineer technician Edward Owen spoke the “large personal sacrifice” involved in spending months underwater.

Heckler Omar Ahmed, 29, from Nelson, Lancashire, one of those who shouted “shame on you”, said: “It’s quite disgraceful that those most senior in society don’t realise the damage of what nuclear weapons can do.”

Kate Hudson of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament called the service “morally repugnant”.

Source: Read Full Article